Book IX, Proposition 35

If as many numbers as we please be in continued proportion, and there be subtracted from the second and the last numbers equal to the first, then, as the excess of the second is to the first, so will the excess of the last be to all those before it.

Ἐὰν ὦσιν ὁσοιδηποτοῦν ἀριθμοὶ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον, ἀφαιρεθῶσι δὲ ἀπό τε τοῦ δευτέρου καὶ τοῦ ἐσχάτου ἴσοι τῷ πρώτῳ, ἔσται ὡς ἡ τοῦ δευτέρου ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τὸν πρῶτον, οὕτως ἡ τοῦ ἐσχάτου ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ πάντας. Ἔστωσαν ὁποσοιδηποτοῦν ἀριθμοὶ ἑξῆς ἀνάλογον οἱ Α, ΒΓ, Δ, ΕΖ ἀρχόμενοι ἀπὸ ἐλαχίστου τοῦ Α, καὶ ἀφῃρήσθω ἀπὸ τοῦ ΒΓ καὶ τοῦ ΕΖ τῷ Α ἴσος ἑκάτερος τῶν ΒΗ, ΖΘ: λέγω, ὅτι ἐστὶν ὡς ὁ ΗΓ πρὸς τὸν Α, οὕτως ὁ ΕΘ πρὸς τοὺς Α, ΒΓ, Δ. Κείσθω γὰρ τῷ μὲν ΒΓ ἴσος ὁ ΖΚ, τῷ δὲ Δ ἴσος ὁ ΖΛ. καὶ ἐπεὶ ὁ ΖΚ τῷ ΒΓ ἴσος ἐστίν, ὧν ὁ ΖΘ τῷ ΒΗ ἴσος ἐστίν, λοιπὸς ἄρα ὁ ΘΚ λοιπῷ τῷ ΗΓ ἐστιν ἴσος. καὶ ἐπεί ἐστιν ὡς ὁ ΕΖ πρὸς τὸν Δ, οὕτως ὁ Δ πρὸς τὸν ΒΓ καὶ ὁ ΒΓ πρὸς τὸν Α, ἴσος δὲ ὁ μὲν Δ τῷ ΖΛ, ὁ δὲ ΒΓ τῷ ΖΚ, ὁ δὲ Α τῷ ΖΘ, ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ ΕΖ πρὸς τὸν ΖΛ, οὕτως ὁ ΛΖ πρὸς τὸν ΖΚ καὶ ὁ ΖΚ πρὸς τὸν ΖΘ. διελόντι, ὡς ὁ ΕΛ πρὸς τὸν ΛΖ, οὕτως ὁ ΛΚ πρὸς τὸν ΖΚ καὶ ὁ ΚΘ πρὸς τὸν ΖΘ. ἔστιν ἄρα καὶ ὡς εἷς τῶν ἡγουμένων πρὸς ἕνα τῶν ἑπομένων, οὕτως ἅπαντες οἱ ἡγούμενοι πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς ἑπομένους: ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ ΚΘ πρὸς τὸν ΖΘ, οὕτως οἱ ΕΛ, ΛΚ, ΚΘ πρὸς τοὺς ΛΖ, ΖΚ, ΘΖ. ἴσος δὲ ὁ μὲν ΚΘ τῷ ΓΗ, ὁ δὲ ΖΘ τῷ Α, οἱ δὲ ΛΖ, ΖΚ, ΘΖ τοῖς Δ, ΒΓ, Α: ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ὁ ΓΗ πρὸς τὸν Α, οὕτως ὁ ΕΘ πρὸς τοὺς Δ, ΒΓ, Α. ἔστιν ἄρα ὡς ἡ τοῦ δευτέρου ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τὸν πρῶτον, οὕτως ἡ τοῦ ἐσχάτου ὑπεροχὴ πρὸς τοὺς πρὸ ἑαυτοῦ πάντας: ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι. If as many numbers as we please be in continued proportion, and there be subtracted from the second and the last numbers equal to the first, then, as the excess of the second is to the first, so will the excess of the last be to all those before it. Let there be as many numbers as we please in continued proportion, A, BC, D, EF, beginning from A as least, and let there be subtracted from BC and EF the numbers BG, FH, each equal to A; I say that, as GC is to A, so is EH to A, BC, D. For let FK be made equal to BC, and FL equal to D. Then, since FK is equal to BC, and of these the part FH is equal to the part BG, therefore the remainder HK is equal to the remainder GC. And since, as EF is to D, so is D to BC, and BC to A, while D is equal to FL, BC to FK, and A to FH, therefore, as EF is to FL, so is LF to FK, and FK to FH. Separando, as EL is to LF, so is LK to FK, and KH to FH. [VII. 11, 13] Therefore also, as one of the antecedents is to one of the consequents, so are all the antecedents to all the consequents; [VII. 12] therefore, as KH is to FH, so are EL, LK. KH to LF, FK, HF. But KH is equal to CG, FH to A, and LF, FK, HF to D, BC, A; therefore, as CG is to A, so is EH to D, BC, A.

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